silver linings
by matchaball
Summary: The city sings in a chorus of a thousand little lights constellated over a staff of strands running through its veins, made ever brighter by the additional seasonal lights. The currents of light pulse along the roads, around the markets, through homes, vibrant and alive. They stand at the heart of it all, at the place where everyone knows they can always find.


They almost miss the butterfly, at first.

Despite being hypersensitive to their presence after so many months of fighting akuma, it's an easy mistake to make. Distractions come in the bag of hot roasted chestnuts passed between them; in the sea of twinkling lights washing up before their feet that dangle over the edge of a roof; and in the joyous ringing of laughter and carolers rippling through the streets.

In the distance, the bells of Notre Dame sing the late hour, and the Eiffel Tower comes to life in a stunning rush of light that sparkles brilliantly for a few captivating moments before fading.

"It's the most wonderful time of the year," Chat hums as the bells continue to chime. He deftly catches a chestnut that Ladybug tosses at him and pops it in his mouth. Undeterred, he puffs his chest out and belts, "There'll be much misteltoeing and hearts will be glowing when loved ones are neeeear~!"

He nudges Ladybug cheekily at that and laughs as she shoves another chestnut in his mouth. Sputtering, he finishes, "It's the most wonderful tiiime of the yeaeeaaar~!"

"You have a lot of great qualities about you Chat," Ladybug groans. "But singing is _definitely_ not one of them. Here just- eat."

The fragrant aroma of roasted chestnuts warms the chilly air as she passes the bag over, to which Chat happily accepts. Before he takes one for himself, he offers the first chestnut back to her.

"We could do a duet and you could make up for my voice," he cheerfully suggests. "You've always been the best part of me anyway."

"Sap," she accuses, but the smile on her face belies her fondness. The chestnut steams in the air as she plucks it from his fingers and holds it up against the backdrop of festivities before them.

"T'is the season," he laughs.

"T'is the season," Ladybug echoes. She bites into her chestnut and chews slowly, savouring the treat. "Even heroes need a break."

Chat hums in reply before dissolving into a purr as Ladybug reaches up to give him a quick scratch beneath his chin. The bell on his collar rings high and true in counterpart, hanging clear above the noise of the crowd.

As Chat's purr settles down to sit warm in his lungs, he hooks a clawtip into a mealy chestnut and flicks it high in the air before catching it deftly with his mouth as it arcs down from the steel grey clouds overhead. He snags another and glances over. The multitude of twinkling lights below reflect up as stars in the sky of Ladybug's blue eyes, even as she narrows them at him and gestures at the chestnut in his hand.

Neither notices a tiny light detach itself and flutter up from the array of strands beneath their feet.

"Hit me with your best shot," Ladybug challenges. Her chin lifts, ready to catch his toss.

His mouth curls into a grin as he slowly leans back and bends his wrist. He plays into the pause that follows after, watching as anticipation armours Ladybug with attentive wariness and unwavering focus.

Movement around her still head arrests his attention immediately. Her pigtails lift in the cold wind that nips around them, and his nerves relax.

As they settle, the unmistakable glow of a butterfly peeks out from behind, hovering dangerously close to her gleaming earring.

"Behind you!" Chat yelps. Instinct takes over and he slingshots the chestnut at the butterfly with devastating force.

Ladybug reacts immediately and without question, trust apparent in every tightly controlled reaction of her body. She ducks and rolls to the side, coming up with her fists raised and ready for a fight. The chestnut whips beyond but the butterfly is already gone.

As her hand snaps to the yoyo holstered to her hip, her eyes dart around, looking for the enemy. There's no akuma to be seen, no damage to follow; but a flicker at the corner of her eye is enough for her yoyo to spring forward. It arrows straight between Chat's ears and catches nothing but a few strands of his unruly hair.

The butterfly rises up to shine against the dark of the sky, impossible to miss.

Chat and Ladybug are off like a shot, scattering roasted chestnuts in the wake of their chase. Patches of black ice over rooftops turn a simple run into a treacherous obstacle course, a far cry from the slow moving river of civilians leisurely enjoying the festivities between the valley of buildings that they leap across.

As his staff cracks through a frozen puddle to strike the ground, Chat vaults to the next building. An inconsistency itches away at him until he realizes what detail is different.

"Wait, this one's white," he points out as he skids to a stop. "Isn't it ok then?"

"Remember the last time I let an akuma go?" Ladybug yells as she runs past without breaking stride. Her gaze focuses single-mindedly on the butterfly flying away. "I'm not going to make the same mistake twice."

Except that for all her efforts, the butterfly evades her yoyo every time she tries to capture it. With each empty _click_ , the butterfly flickers further away from them and closer to the growing crowd of civilians congregating around the markets clustered by the Eiffel Tower.

As it passes overhead the markets, strings of fairy lights ripple with the momentum of dozens of white butterflies unfurling their wings and taking flight. They rise up in a glittering cloud, winging their way up the spine of the Eiffel Tower.

The chase slows. Curiosity and wariness have Chat and Ladybug glancing at each other before cautiously following the trail up.

Everything seems to fall away the higher they go. As they look upwards, the warmth from the lights strung below fades; the headiness of fresh food and hot chocolate dissipates in the thin air; and the multicolour splendor of people shopping, skating, and walking through the city melts into the darkness. Even the unlit bulbs lining the iron bones of the structure sit silent as ghosts watching their ascent.

Ladybug and Chat have made the climb before. The top is easy enough to reach, even if few choose to take their particular path; but it's still an awfully long way to fall.

The yoyo is the first to make it up, winding around the apex jutting to the sky sunk heavy with grey clouds. Ladybug crests over the topmost platform a beat later, followed by Chat at her heels. Silence greets them at the lonely top.

Silence, but the soft, ethereal glow of silver light as well. Dozens of small, white butterflies rest together all around the tiny platform, dormant and peaceful.

"Is this…?" Ladybug breathes.

"... where they all go, I think, after you purify them," Chat finishes quietly.

The dark seems to recede as they venture tentatively among the still butterflies. Light invites them in until they stand at the center surrounded by all those they've saved.

"There's so many," Ladybug whispers, reluctant to break the calm. "Why did they come here though?"

"For the view," Chat jokes. The broad sweep of his arm does little to rouse the butterflies. "You can see everything from here."

And for the first time since climbing up, they look down. The city sings in a chorus of a thousand little lights constellated over a staff of strands running through its veins, made ever brighter by the additional seasonal lights. The currents of light pulse along the roads, around the markets, through homes, vibrant and alive.

"Everything," Ladybug murmurs. "And everyone."

They stand at the heart of it all, at the place where everyone knows they can always find.

A butterfly flutters down, hovering until Chat offers a hand. It lights upon his open palm, delicate and small against the careful cradle of his sharp, pointed claws.

"I never realized how many people we've helped," he says as he wiggles his fingers playfully.

"So long as they need us, we'll be here for them," Ladybug promises. She reaches out to a butterfly sitting still on the broadcasting aerial and brushes its silver wings with the gentlest of touches.

The glow that blooms immediately from the contact startles her into snatching her hand back. The wings which had been so still slowly breathe open, shining brighter and brighter as the butterfly awakens. Dazzling blooms of unfurling wings follow suit as the light spreads to touch its slumbering neighbours, until the platform shines like a star atop the tower.

Despite the freezing December weather and the high altitude, there is only a halcyonic warmth.

"It feels like… a thank you," Ladybug says. She watches them intently, and continues softly, "And a goodbye."

The butterfly in Chat's hand flits up to the grey sky. As one, the remaining butterflies follow suit and take flight in a glittering cloud, their wingbeats flashing like silver notes in the air.

"It feels," Chat adds quietly, "like absolution."

The butterflies shine brightly, proudly as one, before their wings fold up and their forms condense into pinpricks of intense light. As they transform, they begin to fall away from each other, dissolving into a shower of stars falling back down towards the earth.

From the grey skies, the clouds finally relent, allowing white snowflakes to float down and join them.

Stunned, Ladybug and Chat can only watch.

Then-

"It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas," Ladybug sings, laughing as Chat practically cricks his neck in his haste to beam widely at her.

"It'll look more like Christmas down there with everyone," Chat points out. He offers a hand to her and laces their fingers together as she accepts. "Shall we?"

They leap together, following the lights down, and down, and down.

* * *

 **AN:** _A Little Light_ is a digital Miraculous Ladybug charity zine to benefit the victims of Hurricane Matthew. Zine orders will be open until Feb. 1! I'm thrilled to participate in my first ever zine! Thanks for reading :)


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